Kinus HaMechanchim is ‘Largest Chinuch Conference on Zoom’

By COLlive reporter

Organizers of the Kinus HaMechanchim are calling it the largest Zoom Chinuch Conference held to date with hundreds of mechanchim and teachers from the United States and Canada, as well Australia and South Africa.

For two days, hundreds of educators are participating virtually in this conference and listening in to lectures and voicing their opinions in workshops and discussions to prepare themselves for a new school year.

“The challenge is tremendous,” organizers said. “Children have been away for classrooms since Purim and their education has obviously suffered, especially those who have special needs. Curricula will need to be adjusted, skills will have to be relearned or at least brushed up.”

This is in addition to schools needing to take on safety regulations. Distancing, protective steps and overall precautions will need to be implemented for every school activity.

The Kinus is featuring professionals such as Dr. David Pelcovitz and Dr. Michael Blumenthal who will deal with the safety and psychological issues.

Outstanding menahlim such as Rabbi Mendel Greenbaum, Rabbi Chaim Botwinick, mechanchim such as Rabbis Levi Feldman, Rabbi Moshe Schwartz, Rabbi Zalman Raskin and others will discuss classroom management and curriculum. Mashpiim and roshei yeshiva are sharing divrei chizuk.

Rabbi Nochem Kaplan, Director of the Merkos Chinuch Office and organizer of the Kinus, is following and directing the conference with the help of Rabbi Mendel Rosenfeld who is overseeing the technical aspects.

“It took many hours of preparation for every hour on Zoom and they will tell you the results show it was time well spent,” Rabbi Kaplan said.

Many schools have gathered their teachers together to watch the conference together, among them is Cheder Chabad of Baltimore education staff watching the conference together.